Our Impact
Inspiring and empowering young people
Alumni Spotlight: Steven Wang on Starting Before You’re Ready
Steven Wang’s career has taken him from building a social enterprise in China, to studying at Oxford and Harvard Law School, to practicing corporate law in New York and Toronto. Today, he serves as CEO of Venture for Canada, a national charity that helps young people build the skills, experience and entrepreneurial mindset they need to thrive in a changing economy.
It’s a path that, in many ways, circles back to where it started: Junior Achievement.
Learning to Lead Early
As a student, Steven ran a company with a team of peers, developing a product and learning to sell it. That early taste of entrepreneurship left a lasting impression.
“JA helped me see that you did not have to wait until some distant point in adulthood to create something, lead something or contribute something meaningful.”
A Bias Toward Action
That sense of agency has stayed ever since, shaping a career built on a willingness to act before feeling fully ready.
“You rarely have perfect information when you begin something. You have an idea, some people around you, limited resources and a lot you don’t know. You learn by starting — talking to people, trying something, seeing what works and adjusting.”
It’s a mindset Steven credits with carrying him through entrepreneurship, law, and leadership alike.
Paying It Forward
Now, as an alumnus, he sees the JA experience as part of a broader truth about opportunity.
“Talent is widely distributed, but opportunity, confidence and networks are not. Sometimes a relatively small experience at the right […] can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.”
Advice for the Next Generation
For current students and recent alumni navigating their own next steps, his advice is simple: don’t rush to have it all figured out.
“Seek experiences that expand your sense of what is possible. Work with interesting people. Try things you are not yet completely qualified to do. […] The goal isn’t to optimize every individual step. It’s to keep becoming more capable, more curious and more useful to the people and causes you care about.”
